Lajla (original) (raw)

Lajla is an opera in 2 acts by Norwegian composer Ole Olsen to his own libretto. It is set in the northern parts of Norway and is loosely based on the novel by Jens Andreas Friis (1881). It deals with the interaction between the Sami people and the Norwegians. The opera was finished in 1893. August Cranz published its vocal score c. 1899, and a German version of the libretto c. 1901 (translated by Wilhelm Henzen). Lajla is the only of four operas by Olsen to be staged during his life. Its first known performance took place on October 8, 1908 at the National Theatre in Oslo. In 2020 the opera was several times performed in concert version (with piano accompaniment).